Her Loyalties

Chapter Twelve

Clarkes POV

I greeted her as Heda because that's what she had told me to call her before. She blinked at my words and then straightened her back.

"Clarke." She said stiffly. "What do you want?" Her voice was not quite harsh, but cold.

"Um." I faltered under her gaze. "I wanted to know why you're avoiding me all of a sudden. We're supposed to have an alliance and it can't be one sided."

Lexa considered my words for a moment and then nodded.

"I am not avoiding you Clarke. You must understand that - as Heda - I have many responsibilities. I don't always have time." She made it sound like both me and everyone else on the dropship were under her notice.

"I know Le - Heda, but I..." I trailed off, not knowing what to say. It had been a spur of the moment descision to come and see her. She had been on my mind all morning, and I had just come when I was walking past her tent. There was no real reason that I was here.

"Clarke." Lexa said, her voice slightly softer. I looked up into her beautiful green eyes. "I did not mean to upset you. I am only trying to protect you."

"Why?" I asked. "From what? From who?" Lexa sighed and then seemed to decide something.

"A while ago, I had a relationship with a woman named Costia." She started. "She was my whole life apart from my duties as Heda. But the Queen of the Ice Nation - Nia - captured her from me one night. We were at war, and she played dirty. I never saw Costia alive again."

A tear slid down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away.

"At the end of our war with the Ice Nation, I was delivered a box containing Costias severed head." Her voice broke. "I could not bear it if someone else went through the same thing."

My head spun as I realised she meant me. She didn't want me to be hurt by being close to her.

"I'm so sorry Lexa." She did not object at me using her name. I felt so sorry for her, having to lose a loved one that way.

"Can you understand now why I must protect you Clarke?" Lexa asked, looking up at me from under her lashes.

"Sha (yes), and no." I whispered.

She smiled at my use of her language.

Lexa opened her mouth to say something but closed it again after a moment. It looked like she was at a loss for words.

"I couldn't bear it if you were hurt." She finally murmured, looking embarassed to admit it.

Her eyes were avoiding mine but I stayed silent until she looked up at me again. I struggled for words to say but came up empty. Instead, I took a small step closer to her.

I kissed her.

She kissed me.

I don't know who leant forward first, maybe we both did.

Her lips were soft against mine and one of my hands reached up to cup her face. She sighed into the kiss and I felt her hand twist around mine, pulling me slightly closer. I could feel her body pressed against mine, the hand what wasn't wrapped around mine reaching up to tangle in my hair.

"Clarke." She murmured softly as we pulled back slightly to catch our breath. Her eyes stared into mine, our breaths mingling in the small space. Mine slid closed again as she leaned in again to press her lips to mine.

She kissed me sweetly, lovingly. The corners of my mouth lifted and I hummed getly as Lexa stroked the side of my face.

We broke apart again but didn't let go of each others hands. Her eyes were wide, as if she couldn't believe what had happened. I knew that I certainly couldn't.

"Clarke." She whispered. "I would never let anyone hurt you." I smiled slightly and released my hand from the side of her face only to take her other hand.

"Me either." I replied. Her smile at my words was breathtaking.

We suddenly became aware of yells and loud footsteps from outside. There was the sound of a loud horn and Lexas face paled.

"Heda!" A guard ran into the tent, breaking up apart. "Heda! The Maunon are here!" He didn't seem to notice what he had walked in on.

"The Maunon?" I questioned.

"The people that live inside Mount Weather." Lexa quickly explained. "They cannot go outside without their suits, we suspect they are not immune to the radiation in the air. They have very advanced technology."

"What is our course of action Heda?" The guard asked. Lexa turned to him.

"Evacuate all children and anyone who does not know how to fight. We must stop them from taking more of our people."

"Sha (yes) Heda." The guard nodded at her and then left to carry out her orders. When he was gone, Lexa turned to me.

"Clarke, has Anya taught you how to fight?"

"Kind of." I replied. In truth, Anya had only gone over the basics, but I wanted to fight these people that I knew nothing about.

"Will you fight with us Clarke?" She looked like she hated to ask but I nodded. "I will have Gustus find you some armour and a sword then. Gustus!" She called.

Gustus entered the tent and bowed his head to her.

"Sha (yes) Heda?"

"Have Clarke fitted with armour, and a sword. She will fight the Maunon (mountain men) with us." Gustus looked shocked at her words but nodded.

"Come with me, Clarke." I followed him out of the tent with a nod from Lexa. He led me to a tent that held stacks of armour, lying in piles. Finn caught up with us as we entered.

"Clarke, what's going on?"

"Their enemy is here." I pulled him into the tent with me. "I'm going to fight them with the warriors."

Finn didn't question me.

"I will too." He confirmed. Gustus overheard and threw Finn a pile of armour. He barely caught it but managed to hold onto everything.

Gustus also handed me a pile and I thanked him. Finn and I hurridly strapped it on over our clothes with Gustus instructing us. Finally, he handed us a sword sheath each and showed us how to strap it on.

"Here." Gustus handed me a long sword, which I clumsily slid into the sheath on my back. Finn was handed a similiar weapon, and as an afterthought, Gustus also handed us another dagger each to slide into a sheath sewn into the armour at our hips. 

When we emerged from the tent, Lexa was waiting for us outside. She had strapped many weapons all over her body, and had warpaint smeared around her eyes.

"Clarke." She murmured to me. "Are you sure about this?"

"Sha (yes). I could not leave you to fight alone." She smiled at me and then beckoned Finn and I along. We walked through a throng of warriors that parted for Lexa and made our way to the front.

In the distance, I could see a small army of people that looked like they were carrying guns. They had strangely cubic heads, and I thought it must be the suits Lexa said they war. Lexa nodded at me once and I smiled at her. She turned to the army before us and lifted her sword.

"Kom war! (to war)" She cried. Her shout was echoed over and over, people lifting their weapons. I did not know what this meant but assumed it was war related.

I took out my sword, lifted it high and joined in.

"Kom war!" I shouted.